I wrote this awhile ago for acne and/or losing weight. Remember some of these things are very controversial. For example, milk has lots of protein which is seen to be very good for losing weight, but also contains hormones which can effect acne. I tried to make an ACNE/WEIGHT LOSS diet, here it is. (I used this for acne, I don't have weight problems). I didn't find this diet very effective, when I decided to eat "bad" foods, I saw no difference in my acne. Other people have been more lucky, seeing significantly good results. (I was on this diet for 8 months).

here you go JC:

Try eating organic (natural) foods opposed to inorganic (man-made) foods. Organic foods are less refined, making it easiar for the body to digest.

Try to eat complex carbohydrates (instead of simple carbohydrates) as your main intake of carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates have more nutritional value because they contain vitamins, minerals and fiber. These types of carbohydrates are also significantly lower in fat, saturate fat and calories.
~If you're trying to lose weight fast, I recommend significantly lowering your carbohydrate influx. You should be eating generous portions of fruits and vegetables (don't over-do the fruit, glucose (sugar) is prevalant in fruit). Fruits that are supposively suppose to help skin include: Strawberries, rasberries, blackberries, papaya, broccoli, peas, redleaf lettuce, etc. (redleaf lettuce has some nuitrition while other lettuce does not). I'd stay away from: Bananas, mango's, potatoes and carrots.
~Stay away from simple carbohydrates these include: Sugars (fructose, sucrose, glucose (glucose is actually present in fruit, just eat in moderation, not too much)). Honey, corn syrup, candy, dairy products (eggs, milk (milk that is hormone free is ok, meaning it should be free of the hormone "rBST")).
~You should try to switch to whole-wheat bread and/or brown pasta, rice, etc. (Less refined, body digests better).

~Some people recommend staying away from foods high in SALT (Sodium, Na). Although I recommend fish later on, I recommend staying away from things like peanuts which are high in salt. Peanuts are also legumes which are thought to aggravate acne.
~Stay away from foods containing hydrogenated oil (use olive oil instead, hydrogenated oil and trans-fatty acids are known to raise bad (LDL) chlorestrol levels and lower good (HDL) level. Most fast-food restaurants will use hydrogenated oil). Hydrogenated oil supposively aggravates acne as well.
~For acne: Stay away from eggs (yolks primarily) and dairy products (once again, milk free of the hormone "rBST" is ok). Although if you're dieting for weight loss, eggs are seen as beneifical.
~Stay away from very fatty meats (see below for recommend meat).
~I'd stay away from caffeine, switch to herbal tea's (ie: Green tea which is a free-radical fighter) if you insist something warm in the mornings. (caffeine is the most abused "drug" in America, the side effects are vague, but hint to linked to coronary disease).

Ahh, so many things not to eat huh? Well here are some really yummy nutritional foods:
~Tuna/Salmon (and other various fish). Try to stay away from shellfish because it is usually significantly higher in cholesterol. I really enjoy canned tuna (white albacore in water) or salmon (canned) mixed with ketchup! Get some whole-wheat bread and make yourself a nice sandwich, including: tomatos and lettuce.
~Salmon (Fresh) - I bake my salmon, although most would insit on poaching it. I really enjoy teriaki sauce as marinade but it contains lots of sugars. Therefore I would recommend something like lemon.
~Chicken! - yumm...Try to buy chicken breasts (if you can afford them, little more pricey) preferably manufactured by Zachy's (less hormones). If you can't find the Zachy's brand, go for Foster Farms. I recommend baking the chicken.
~Meat! - Try to buy prime beef (Little more pricey). Pick out a piece with considerably less fat. If you want ground beef, just ask the store clerk to cut off the fat and grind it for you. This is also debatable, since some beef contain hormones as well. Several people would recommend not eating meat for acne.
~Pastas? - Normally, I wouldn't recommend too much carbohydrate intake, but if you really love pasta, invest in whole wheat pasta. Try to use a natural pasta sauce if you can find one.
~Water helps "cleanse" the body and disposes the bad waste more easily. I recommend drinking a slighty flavored lemon water (half a lemon per liter). Lemon is high in Vit.C which is an anti-oxidant (fights free radicals). You can also try taking other concentrated vitamins, but I don't see them as very effective. The body doesn't recognize several vitamin supplements (concentrated, that are sold in capsules/tablets/powders) as food, therefore the vitamins aren't completely absorbed.
~Garlic - boosts the immune system by increasing natural killer cells and white blood cells. Some studies suggest that garlic helped stop the growth of cancer.
~Vitamins C&E - Along with several other supplements, these promote resistance to oxidative stress. Oxidative stress releases free radicals that can destroy healthy cells. Some studies have shown that a decrease in oxidative stress results in a weight loss. Stress is also known to cause acne.
~Mushrooms - Has been shown to improve immune responses in human blood.

Fish is probably the best type of food you can eat. It also contains EFA (essential fatty acids) like omega-3 and folic acid. These entrees make a delicious meal with frozen vegetables (try to get vegetables without potatoes or carrots).

The problem I have with diet plans is that everyone says to avoid certain foods but eat others and these recommendations often clash with each other. For instance, you say to avoid peanuts and carrots which I've read are good for the skin.

Also, I have a question. How's RAMEN on the skin? I eat that often and wonder if it's causing any problems for me. I'd rather not give it up because it's so easy to make/tasty.

Steve - Are you talking about Top-Ramen ? If so, the noodles are probably bleached flour, it probably contains hydrogenated oil, and several other additivies. But once again, I had no success on any type of diet. If I were you, I'd just eat whatever you want. If you know a certain food breaks you out, stay away from it.

Can't live your life stressing about acne every single day every single meal. It drove me crazy. This post was just for somone who was interested in the diet that I went on for 8 months.

matangles - "Tablets" or Vitamins aren't very beneficial because the body doesn't recoginize them as food, therefore much less is absorbed. You're better of buying lemons and making heavily diluted lemon/water (half a lemon per liter) for your VitC intake. This is the ONLY type of food I consumed that I saw success with. You should give it a try. Remember not to consume too much lemon! (I recommend 8-10 glasses per day). This is suppose to "flush" out your system.

Vit E - I was just suggesting that Vit-E helps maintain healthy skin. I'm not sure whether taking Vit-E supplements will be beneficial. If you'd like to consume foods rich in Vit-E, you could eat: Olive oil, avocado pear, nuts, leafy green vegetables, cereal and egg yolks. Once again, don't over do it.

matangles - \"Tablets\" or Vitamins aren't very beneficial because the body doesn't recoginize them as food, therefore much less is absorbed. You're better of buying lemons and making heavily diluted lemon/water (half a lemon per liter) for your VitC intake. This is the ONLY type of food I consumed that I saw success with. You should give it a try. Remember not to consume too much lemon! (I recommend 8-10 glasses per day). This is suppose to \"flush\" out your system.

Vit E - I was just suggesting that Vit-E helps maintain healthy skin. I'm not sure whether taking Vit-E supplements will be beneficial. If you'd like to consume foods rich in Vit-E, you could eat: Olive oil, avocado pear, nuts, leafy green vegetables, cereal and egg yolks. Once again, don't over do it.

Hope I helped,
Dream

ok so wuts the point of vitamins...i still want to take them, just how much should i take per day, they have to do some good...

ok so wuts the point of vitamins...i still want to take them, just how much should i take per day, they have to do some good...

and ill make some lemon water and try it!

To tell you the truth, I wouldn't suggest taking vitamins. But if you insist, go ahead. The maximum dosage per day for Vitamin C is 1,000mg, never exceed this. Since your drinking lemon water, you REALLY DO NOT need to take this vitamin. Lemons are the best source of Vitamin C you can get. Recommended dosage for Vitamin E is 20-800IU per day. Kind of depends where your getting your source from and how much you weigh. I'm guessing you're talking about vitamin supplements, so you could take 800IU per day since all of it doesn't get absorbed.

You want to be careful while over-dosing (pretty much what this is) on vitamins for long periods of time. Remember, you get several vitamins from the foods you eat every day. When you take vitamins on top of this, you're actually over-dosing. Therefore, you could have several side effects. One being more severe acne. Honestly, I'd just go with the lemon water. Good Luck!

uh.....I'd say 1000mg is a minimum. don't take more than that AT ONCE, because your body can't absorb it and it will be wasted, but you can pretty much gulp as much Vit C as you want without ill effects, except wasting money because you're peeing it out.
I'd aim for taking a 500mg ester-C tab as many times a day as you can remember to, with 2 hour intervals, or barring that as a possibility, at least one in the morning and one at night.
The RDA for vitamin C is the amount that will prevent you pfrom getting sick due to a deficiency, not how much you need for optimum health.
And yes, of course, if you can get it from a food/non-pill source, that is much better.
Vitamin E caplets are crap, too processed/isolated to do any good. Eat nuts (almonds, walnuts, brazil etc..)

~I'd stay away from caffeine, switch to herbal tea's (ie: Green tea which is a free-radical fighter) if you insist something warm in the mornings. (caffeine is the most abused \"drug\" in America, the side effects are vague, but hint to linked to coronary disease).

I just thought i 'd add something to this, since it can be confusing for some people. Green tea does have caffeine in it. On average, about half as much as black tea does. In fact, all true teas have caffeine, even decaffeinated teas have a little bit. There is a difference between green tea and herbal tea. Herbal teas are not true teas, since they are not made with tea leaves (camellia sinensis), which is what has the caffeine in it. So an herbal tea like chamomile usually wont have caffeine in it, but a green tea like darjeeling green will have caffeine. Also note that even if an herbal tea has no tea leaves, it can still have quite a bit of caffeine from other sources, such as yerba mata or guarana herbs.

uh.....I'd say 1000mg is a minimum. don't take more than that AT ONCE, because your body can't absorb it and it will be wasted, but you can pretty much gulp as much Vit C as you want without ill effects, except wasting money because you're peeing it out. I'd aim for taking a 500mg ester-C tab as many times a day as you can remember to, with 2 hour intervals, or barring that as a possibility, at least one in the morning and one at night. The RDA for vitamin C is the amount that will prevent you pfrom getting sick due to a deficiency, not how much you need for optimum health. And yes, of course, if you can get it from a food/non-pill source, that is much better.
Vitamin E caplets are crap, too processed/isolated to do any good. Eat nuts (almonds, walnuts, brazil etc..)

Some Doctors suggest that taking over 1,000mg a day could aggravate the acne. The body needs to excrete the Vit C by any means possible, one being the skin.

When I was on Accutane years ago, I was at my happiest. Sure my lips were chapped every now and then, my eyes were dry the first week, and I had two mild nose bleeds, but dang it, I ate whatever I wanted and didn't care about what was going inside me. I eat healthy now--oatmeal and fruit in the morning etc. ) and I find that the more I look out as to what is going into my body, the crappier I feel. I feel NO difference in energy, mood, or budget with the "healthy organic" stuff. For me, I guess it's in my mind--or maybe my unusually high metabolism. I love the healthy foods as much as the garbage out there. With acne, i have found that having just the right balance is the key for me. There are a few things I need from time to time like Mario Badescu's pimple drier thingee and Vitamin E oil, but for the most part, it's all in moderation. :-k

How's RAMEN on the skin? I eat that often and wonder if it's causing any problems for me.

As an Asian, I know that it's not good for skin... But I, too, love it so just eat it anyway.. Although I try to limit it to a few times a month!

Anyway... If it causes acne, the main cause will be in the noodles not the sauce because the noodles are fried in probably not so clean oil. I read in a Korean magazine that one good way to eat healthier Ramen is to boil water and put the noodles for about 30 seconds to a minute and then drain the water and boil another water and cook the Ramen there, then much of oil is removed.

-lentil and chickpea burgers..yumm. You can buy these in supermarkets.
-Raw nuts -can't stop eating them. I buy a 350g bag full with organic sultanas and mix both - both can be expensive. I eat the raw nuts with my green tea (Try not to have this after 3.00pm) and also I have a low fat or gluten free biscuit or cookie with my tea.
-Millet or barley rice crackers with honey for spread.
-Gluten free noodles with stir fry vegetables. Use vegetable stock instead of oil. I use tamari for taste.
-I also use tahini spread instead of butter and manuka honey instead of normal honey.
-Oh yeah i also make my own muffins using wholemeal flour, walnuts and bananas or cinnamon and pear. Use manuka honey for sugar instead of normal sugar.

I have tried to cut out meat, dairy, wheat and yeast all together but cutting out the latter two is virtually impossible because so many foods have these.

I have been doing this for a month now and i look healthier - less acne and eczema but my energy levels seem the same.

Here's the problem. I read that whole wheat bread is healthier than other types of bread BUT only if it is Glutten free and doesn't have milk powder or whey. However, I have been unable to find a good whole wheat bread that doesn't have at least one of those items in it. Should I try fresh bread from the store or is there a particular brand you like?

Steve - Personally, I wouldn't stress over what you eat what so ever. But if you insist on dieting, or just want to "try it out," I recommend the 100% whole wheat bread that is manufactured by Oro-Wheat.

LOL, Steve, you will never find a Whole Wheat bread that is gluten free. Gluten is found in wheat, barely, rye, and questionably oats.

On the other hand, there are companies that sell Sprouted Grass breads, where if the seed is fully sprouted, they should not contain gluten. However, those that are Gluten intolerant or Celiacs, still have trouble consuming these or they don't trust the manufacturers. However, you can indulge in Gluten-Free (GF) breads in general.

If you love pasta, by Brown Rice or other GF variations such as Corn, Quinoa, etc. My personal fav. are the Rice pastas. There's also Thai instant noodles, (rice), but I'm not a fan of their flavors.